


Zähmen

by Icka M Chif (mischif)



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: disney_kink, Feral Behavior, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, On Hiatus, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-05-25 15:43:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6201205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/pseuds/Icka%20M%20Chif
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <a href="http://victoriousvocabulary.tumblr.com/post/105822879908/z%C3%A4hmen-verb-to-tame-domesticate-bring-under">ZÄHMEN</a>
  <br/>
  <i>[verb]</i>
  <br/>
  <i>to tame; domesticate; bring under control.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>For the <a href="http://disney-kink.livejournal.com/11667.html?thread=7158675#t7158675%0A">Disney Kink Prompt of what if Nick got infected by the Night Howler</a>.</p><p>That wasn’t blueberry juice staining Nick’s neck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt took on a life of it's own, and at this point is over 6000 words. I'll post chapters as I can, since we're doing our usual and writing out of order. For those who are familiar with [188 Hugs](http://archiveofourown.org/works/683580), it's starting to shape up into that kind of format, lots of scenes piling into a larger story.  
> Thanks to [earthstar](http://archiveofourown.org/users/earthstar) for sending me pics of the confrontation scene out of the junior novel so I could get the speech right.

* * *

That wasn’t blueberry juice staining Nick’s neck. 

Nick’s body convulsed under her paws, the muscles twitching almost unnaturally. From above the pit, Judy could hear Bellwether calling the police above them, reporting a savage fox at the Natural History Museum. 

It was one of the first things that they had drilled into them during weapons training, always know how much ammo you had in your gun, clear your gun and make sure there wasn’t one in the chamber. 

But Judy hadn’t been the one to switch the Night Howler pellets for blueberries, Nick had. 

Nick, who had laughingly admitted he didn’t know his way around guns, he was a conman, not an assassin. 

And now their plan for him to fake being savage was down the drain, and she was trapped inside a Natural History exhibit with what was soon going to be a very dangerous predator. 

“No, Nick!” Judy begged, even as her eyes flickered around the pit, looking for a possible way out, even as she felt his bones pop, changing from bipedal to all fours. “Don’t do this! Fight it!”

“Oh, but he can't help it, can he?" Bellwether's sweetly mocking tones echoed throughout the pit. "Since preds are just _biologically_ predisposed to be savages." 

Nick let loose with a particularly violent snarl, body jerking in such a way that it sent her backing away from her friend. “Run.” Nick hissed, low and guttural, the pupils narrowing in the middle, becoming almost a dark slit across his green eye. 

“Nick.” She whimpered, scooting backwards as much as her injured leg would let her. She didn’t have anything with her, no fox repellent spray, no gun, no tazer. Just herself and a busted leg. 

“Protect-” Nick gasped, the word trailing off into a mindless growl. He turned towards her, body low to the ground, stalking her. She keened in the back of her throat, and scrambled backwards on her paws and one good leg.

“Gosh, think of the headline.” Bellwether cheerfully continued, sounding pleased with herself, an odd counterpoint to the terror Judy felt. “‘Hero Cop Killed by Savage Fox’.”

She didn’t feel much like a hero at the moment. But they’d had a plan, and even if she ended up dead, there was a chance it could still work. A remote chance, but a chance. 

“So that’s it?” Judy called out, keeping her eyes on Nick, who was staring in her direction with no recognition on his face. “Prey fears predator, and you stay in power?” 

“Pretty much.” Bellwether gleefully agreed, and Judy hated her _so much_ in that moment. So many lives ruined, just for a mad power grab. 

“It won’t work!” Judy proclaimed, heart beating loudly in her chest in counterpoint to her brave words, unable to look away from Nick’s face. She’d never felt so much like prey before, like she was nothing but food.

“Fear always works.” Bellwether laughed, and Nick’s snarls increased in pitch. “And I’ll drug every predator in Zootopia to keep it that way!” 

The wall hit Judy’s shoulderblades, stopping her retreat. She had nowhere to go. The walls were too high for her to jump, even if her leg wasn’t busted. Rocks on either side kept her from rolling away, she was trapped. 

Nick gathered his paws underneath him, tail wiggling in clear preparation to jump. 

“Bye-Bye, Bunny!” Bellwether crooned from above, sounding like she was going to enjoy the show. 

“Nick.” Judy whispered one last time, closing her eyes as she braced for death. She hoped Nick didn’t remember this part later, he’d never forgive himself. 

She twitched as she felt paws brush her sides, hot breath and fangs scrape across her neck-

And then she was being dragged across the ground by the collar of her shirt. She opened her eyes in shock as Nick scrambled across the fake landscape, moving them as far away from Bellwether as was possible in the round enclosure. 

“Nick?” Judy breathed, hardly able to believe it. Nick pulled them under the scant shelter of a fake bush, before releasing her and curling himself around her with a worried whine. 

“What?” Bellwether demanded, trying to figure out what was going on. 

Judy bit back a laugh as Nick nuzzled her, his wide tongue grooming her face and neck, like she was a kit. Bellwether stamped her foot, and he turned his head away from Judy and snarled in the sheep’s direction, hair raising up across his back and tail, making him look bigger. 

Nick was protecting her. Just like he’d done since Bogo had demanded her badge in front of him, Nick was _protecting_ her, like she was one of his pack. 

“WHY AREN’T YOU EATING HER?!” Bellwether screamed, and Nick pulled her closer to him. “You’re a PRED! You’re supposed to _kill the rabbit_ , you stupid Fox!!”

“He’s not stupid, he’s _sly_!” Judy shouted back, and then clamped a paw over her mouth as Nick gave her a very unamused grumble. 

“Oh, for goodness sake.” Bellwether grumbled, cocking the pellet gun again. “I’ll just give him double the dose. It wasn’t this much effort to frame that idiot Lionheart.”

“EXCUSE me?!” Judy had never been so happy to hear Chief Bogo’s dulcet tones. 

“Don’t let her shoot the gun!” Judy shouted. “She’s the one behind the animals going savage! Mmph-eep!” 

She was cut off as Nick hauled her all the way underneath him, shielding her with his body, the rumbling in his chest vibrating her bones. She could hear a skirmish above, the shouts of Bellwether and her goons, but couldn’t see what was going on. 

“Hopps!” Chief Bogo’s voice reverberated through the pit. “Report!”

Nick yowled at the Chief, shifting forward to bare his sharp pointy teeth in the water buffalo’s direction. She could hear the rapid clicks of the safety coming off of many guns. “He’s gone savage!” Someone exclaimed. 

“Don’t shoot!” Judy shouted, scooting out from under Nick, raising her paws in the air. “DON’T SHOOT! I’m alright! I’m safe!” 

Nick twined around her, trying to shove her back into the coverage of the brush, glaring up at the officers above. 

“Hopps.” Bogo rumbled. “Are you or are you not currently trapped in an enclosure with a feral predator?”

“Ye-es...” Judy hesitantly agreed, putting her paw on Nick’s head and giving him a rub between the ears.

“And you call this SAFE?!” Bogo demanded, raising a hand in the air. Nick snarled at him, and Judy gave Nick a small shove, the angry sound fading away.

“Safer down here, than up there with Bellwether.” Judy offered, pulling out the carrot pen, and hitting the rewind button. “- _And I’ll drug every predator in Zootopia-!_ ” Bellwether’s voice rang out. 

“I’ve got a full confession here.” Judy added, waggling the pen. “She was using an extract of the Midnicampum holicithias flower to drug predators and turn them savage so she could take over the city. Nick’s got a sample of the extract in his pocket, I’m hoping we can use it to return the predators she drugged back to normal.” 

There was silence around the exhibit, the police officers glancing between her and the Chief for a long tense minute. 

Then Bogo holstered his weapon. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Hopps.” He growled, motioning to the other officers to stand down. “Let’s get you out of here. I need a muzzle and restraints-” 

“Can we drug him instead?” Judy asked. “Nick doesn’t react well to those. And, well…” She limped out, the make-shift bandage around her leg becoming visible. “I kind of need to visit the hospital anyway too.”

Bogo rolled his eyes. “Of course you do.” He motioned someone to come up to the edge, a wolf carrying a tranquiliser rifle appearing. Bogo whispered something in the officer’s ear, then gestured towards her and Nick. 

Somehow, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that they missed, and hit her with a tranquiliser dart first.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy amazeballs, peeps! Was not expecting the response on this that we got! Thank you so much! There are currently 9 chapters in progress, so they'll get posted as they are completed and work out a story order.
> 
> After the first chapter was posted, [EarthStar](http://archiveofourown.org/users/earthstar) found a posting of some [early storyboards that look like a possibly Savage!Nick is defending Judy from some tigers](https://twitter.com/HC_pic/status/706781725490163712), so I guess my headcannon wasn't too far off-?
> 
> And thanks to [ArinRowan](arinrowan.tumblr.com) for a really good anatomical discussion about how since foxes have [Baculum, or penis bones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baculum), if underwear is worn by clothing wearing animals, they wouldn't need the support that y-fronts would supply.
> 
> (BTW, contrary to Judy's thoughts, the officer didn't hit Judy with the dart on accident - Bogo thought it'd be easier to carry them both out unconscious.)

* * *

Pain was the first thing Nick was aware of. It was a fuzzy, indistinct thing, a sort of all over awareness that his body ached all over. He whimpered and curled up into a tighter ball, pulling his tail over him for camouflage. 

Something warm against his chest kept him from curling up too much, and he sniffed, picking up a familiar yet strange smell. Another animal, a prey animal, who was covered in his scent. 

Small soft paws gently stroked his cheek. “Nick?” A quiet voice asked, triggering memory. 

“Carrots?” He whispered, surprised when his voice squeaked, his throat rough and ragged, bringing a new level of pain. 

“Nick!” He was suddenly squeezed tightly around the neck, making him gasp. “Oh my gosh! Nick! It worked!” 

“Wha-?” Nick moved his arms to cradle Judy closer… Only to find he couldn’t move one of his arms. He panicked and took a deep breath, the strong scents of bleach and antiseptic filling his nose. Now that he was more aware, he could hear machinery, something beeping in the background. 

A hospital? 

It was a struggle to open his eyes, but he fought the urge to go back to sleep and slowly got them to open, blinking several times as bright white walls assaulted his vision. He could see his arm stretched out in front of him, Judy’s head resting on his arm, and a shiny metal cuff attaching his wrist to a bar on the side of the bed by a long chain. 

He groaned and attempted to hide his face against the body curled up against him. Judy. He tightened his free arm around her small form, a wave of protectiveness overcoming the panic. 

He’d been caught. 

There were worse animals to be caught for. 

“Sorry about the cuff.” Judy said, gentle paws grooming his head again. “It was a compromise we reached while you were still… savage.” 

Savage…. 

Memory slammed down, fear stink as he was hit by something that wasn’t a blueberry, terror, the horror of being trapped, the smell of terrified prey-

He sat up, jostling Judy, who yelped. He grabbed her arm to keep her upright, studying her intently. He could smell old blood on her, nearly covered up by antiseptic. “Did I hurt you?!” He demanded. 

Judy stared at him with wide purple eyes for a moment, and he could practically feel her rapid heartbeat against his fingerpads. Then she tilted her head back and laughed, wiping her eyes with her free paw. 

“No! No!” She waved him off, then gestured to the pale blue cast on her leg. “I’m fine! Well, I kind of fractured my leg and needed a few stitches in my leg because I ran into that tusk, but the only thing you did was groom my head a lot. I’m not quite sure I’m ever going to get all that drool out.” 

… Now that she mentioned it, his mouth did taste a little fuzzy…. He ran his tongue against his teeth and the top of his mouth. Yup. That was definitely fur. He spat some out and Judy hiccuped, laughing harder. 

And then she pitched forward, pressing her face against his chest, the timbre of her voice changing, and he smelled salt water. 

“Carrots?” He asked as she clung tighter to to his chest -- _his **bare** chest, what the heck happened to his shirt?!_ \-- and bawled harder. “Judes? Judy?”

“I’m sorry.” She sniffed, not releasing him, hiding her face from him. “I’m just… I’m _so **relieved**_.” That started a fresh wave of tears, and he didn’t say anything, just rubbed her back and let her ride the wave of emotion. 

He looked around the room, trying to find any markers or hints as to what happened. The room was plain, almost unnaturally so for what he remembered of hospital rooms. It was like they’d removed everything except for the minimum requirement to monitor someone, there wasn’t even a chair for someone to rest in. 

Just four blank walls, a door on one side that looked like it might lead to a bathroom, and a second door next to a window that looked out into an empty corridor. 

Nick wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he… Since the museum. He checked himself over, the best he could with a crying bunny on his chest, ignoring the paranoia at the cuff around his wrist. He seemed fine, as far as he could tell, aside from missing his shirt and trousers, left just in his underwear. 

Well, this certainly wasn’t awkward at all. He didn’t mind being naked, but he certainly preferred to be cognisant for it. 

He shifted, wrapping his tail around both of them, trying to preserve some sense of dignity. Now that he was paying attention, both he and his boxers kind of stunk, like he had missed quite a few baths. “What happened to my _clothes_?” He hissed. 

Judy laughed wetly, leaning back and wiping her eyes. “You wouldn’t keep them on.” She said, sniffling slightly as she got her breath back. “The boxers were the best I could do, and getting them back on after using the bathroom was a challenge.” 

His ears pressed against the back of his skull in mortification. 

“Oh, relax.” Judy slapped playfully at his arm. “I’ve got _lots_ of brothers, helped them through diapers and toilet training. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“Believe me, that’s not something a guy wants to hear.” He grumbled. “Ever.” 

“If it’s any consolation, you’re… um. Bigger than my brothers.” Judy said delicately. 

Who were baby bunnies. “Not. Helping.” He grumbled through gritted teeth.

She laughed, brighter than before, and he smiled at her, relieved that she was sounding more like herself. He didn’t mind loaning a shoulder for her to cry on, but it made his heart hurt when she cried. 

Not that she didn’t have a good reason to, from what he could last recall. 

“So what happened? How long has it been?” He asked, glancing around again. “I remember the museum, being hit in the neck and…” Nick trailed off, uncertain how to describe it. How his thoughts seemed to twist and warp, until all sense of self just disappeared. 

The feeling of terror that completely overwhelmed him, of being stalked, of danger, knowing that his packmate was in trouble…. 

“It’s been just over a week.” Judy said, running her paws over his arms in a soothing gesture. “Bellwether has been arrested and is in custody. The rest of the savage animals should be coming back to normal right about now, just like you.” 

“You found a cure?” Nick paused, running his words through his head. “I mean, obviously, but…”

“Since my parents were the ones who knew about Night Howlers turning animals savage, once we got you to the hospital, I gave them a call.” Judy said, shifting so that her injured leg was propped up on his legs. “My family asked around Bunnyburrow for more any similar stories, and when you have my hundreds of siblings, plus my cousins, and aunts, uncles, and extended family, word got around pretty fast.” 

Hundreds of siblings?! Nick’s mind boggled, wondering if she was exaggerating, before realising she really wasn’t the kind to. 

“So you know how if you walk through poison ivy, the cure for it, jewelweed, grows right by it?” Judy asked, looking at him like he knew what she was talking about. 

“I can honestly say as a city boy, that poison ivy has never been a problem.” He said sincerely, and she giggled a little at it. 

“Well, there’s a member of the Violet family, Viola tricolor, otherwise known as ‘Heartsease’, that grows nearby the wild Midnicampum holicithias. If the blossoms are put into a tea, it can counteract the effects.” Judy shrugged. “They got some Heartsease plants to the doctors, and they made an antidote from it. The concentrated form that Bellwether used was too much for just an infusion to work, it took some trial and error before they got it right. I think I heard the others waking up recently.”

“You think?” Nick echoed.

Judy shrugged, looking very tired and small. “They stopped screaming at least.” 

“Whiskers?” He swallowed, almost afraid of the answer. He hadn’t known her that long, just a couple of days really, but he knew enough about her by know to know that it was unusual for her not to have her bunny nose into everything. 

“You… the savage you… Wouldn’t let me go anywhere without you.” Judy wrapped her arms around her chest, as if holding herself together. “The times we tried, you yowled like you were in pain, frantically trying to chase after me. Since I’m not supposed to move around a lot yet to give my stitches a change to heal, I haven’t been out to look.” 

He motioned to the cuff. Judy shrugged one shoulder. “They wouldn’t let you just roam around by yourself, even after they realised you weren’t going to hurt me. This way, if something changed and you attacked me, there was a limit to how far you could run. You’re not actually under arrest.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Nick fell backwards on the bed. “Gotta admit, Carrots, I was kind of freaking out about that.” 

Judy laughed, scooting closer, so she could put her head on his chest. “Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone about your ‘Wild’ ways. As far as anyone knows, you were just a concerned citizen that got dragged into things when the panther went savage.” 

He let out a soft breath at that, feeling a tension he hadn't realised he was carrying fall away. She nestled closer with a happy sound, eyes drifting shut. He wondered how much sleep she’d been getting, while watching over him. 

It was so strange, to have someone who cared that much. 

He rested a paw on her back, feeling her ribcage rise and fall as she breathed. He’d come so close to losing her. To losing this… what ever it was. He could have just as easily eaten her, anyone else would have. “Hey, Whiskers?”

“Hmm?” 

“You still interested in a partner?” He asked. 

She took a deep breath, then let it out. “Maybe.” She said, lips curling into a smile. “Only if you’re offering.”

He thought about how she’d been set off on her first week on the job, by herself, to solve a mystery that the rest of the police department couldn’t. How they’d tried to shanghai her into quitting, when things took a turn to the worse.

About how she’d never given up, even when she thought she had. That she’d come back to make things better, to make things right. 

How he didn’t trust anyone else to watch her back. 

Running cons was getting boring anyway. Maybe it was time for a change. 

He gave her a squeeze, and curled on his side so he could pull his tail over the both of them. “I’m offering.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, we realised there was a pacing issue, then [Lady_Douji](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Douji/pseuds/Lady_Douji) and [Earthstar](http://archiveofourown.org/users/earthstar) pointed out I had a _timeline_ issue, so what was chapter three became chapter five, the previous chapter five became chapter seven, and then deleted, and um... the fic may have gotten a bit bigger-?
> 
> Also, thanks to my co-worker Liz, who is a former vet-assistant. She pointed out that with the momentum Judy hit the tusk with, and the fact that she was unable to walk in it entirely, she probably fractured her leg. Rabbit skin is very fragile, so the skin probably split from the force of the impact, resulting in the gash on her leg. Changes have been made.  
> -she also suggested that Judy wear a cone of shame and oven mitts to keep from scratching. That part was not taken under advisement. The fox taser however, was.

* * *

“Mom, Dad.” Judy said, trying not to sound impatient. “I’ll be fine. Really.” Her leg ached, she was tired, and it seemed like the last pain med she’d taken was a while ago. All she wanted to do was sit down and put her foot up for a little while. 

How long had she’d been seeing her parents off for now? At least a half hour. She was grateful for them, so grateful for them taking the train up to see that she was well and to pick up the truck from where it’d been parked to take back to Bunnyburrow. 

“We know, dear.” Mom fussed. “But…”

Judy bit back the urge to groan. “Really. I have my stuff, I’ll be staying with Nick for a few days while we sort out the housing issue. Nick’s friend Finnick will be picking us up tomorrow. I’ll be back at work, riding the desk starting next week. It’s all fine.” 

“Are you sure you’ll be safe?!” Dad burst out with. 

“ _Yes_.” Judy nearly begged. If Nick hadn’t eaten her by now, he wasn’t likely to. That however, was not a thought to pass on to her parents, who’d probably grab her and haul tail back to the Burrow. 

She couldn't entirely blame them though, not when their first introduction to Nick was him as a savage fox, wrapped around her sleeping body, snarling angrily at them to get out of the room. From what Judy understood from the nurses, Dad had fumbled with the Fox Taser, managed to electrocute himself, and had to be treated for minor burns. And get a new pair of pants.

Introductions once the cure had worked had gone a bit smoother, Nick being somewhat subdued around them, but Dad was still nervous about her hanging out with a fox, because according to him you never knew when they were going to turn on you. Which was total stuff and nonsense, and made her worry about what this might mean for their partnership with Gideon Grey. 

Mom was worried also about leaving Judy in Zootopia in general, with the higher density in predator population, but Mom was hiding it a bit better. Even if she did smuggle a couple of additional cans of Fox Repellant into Judy's suitcase, hidden in the undies. Judy had wrapped them in tissues and thrown them out the first chance she got.

“There you are!” Nick’s cheerful tones had never sounded so beautiful. “The nurses were asking where you were, you’re late for your pain pill-?”

“Nick!” She brightened, nearly falling over as she moved towards him. He caught her, gentle paws keeping her upright. 

“Mister and Missus Hopps.” Nick gave them a charismatic smile. Judy got a flashback to when she’d first met him, all smooth, polished distant charm. She kind of hated it now, the distance it put between himself and everyone around. She understood it, but she liked the Nick she knew, the one who was smart, but still a little bit of an idiot. 

Then he glanced at her, and she could see the tiredness in his eyes. There was a lot of scientific interest in the animals who had gone savage, learning about the way their brains worked. The other fourteen had brain scans from while they’d been captured, but Nick was pretty unknown, and had been in for various scans, mapping the way his brain was continuing to change, to repair or to adapt any damage done. 

There was a team of therapists there to help the animals who went savage deal with and return back to their normal lives. They had been particularly interested in Nick, who defended instead of attacked like all the others, and herself by extension.

Nick had been talking to one, which is why she’d been seeing her parents off by herself. 

She said nothing as Nick shook her parent’s hands and exchanged pleasantries, smiling politely the entire time. She took his arm when he straightened up, leaning on him as much as she could with a crutch tucked under one arm.

“I’d better go back if the nurses are looking for me.” Judy smiled, and she caught Nick’s expression flicker out of the corner of her eye. “Text me when you get home?” 

They’d already hugged and kissed each other ‘one last time’ at least a dozen times. 

“Okay.” Mom said, clutching her hands together. “Take care! We’ll talk later!”

Dad started bawling. Judy tugged on Nick’s arm, then grabbed her crutches, limping back towards the hospital, knowing Dad would be at that for a while. 

“You alright?” She asked quietly as she slowly made her way along.

He shrugged, his eyes half lidded and looking like he’d been through a bit of a wringer. “You?”

“Tired.” Judy admitted. Her ears twitched as she caught sound of her parent’s truck start up and drive off. “Oh, thank the Good Green Earth.” She breathed, ears and limbs drooping in relief. They were finally leaving.

One of Nick’s eyebrows climbed up towards his ear in surprise. “I thought they’d never go.” She explained. 

“I would have thought you’d want them to stick around.” He sounded confused, like he was sounding out a situation he wasn’t entirely sure of. He ducked his head, voice dropping. “...Or that you’d prefer to recuperate with family.” 

She shook her head, focusing down on the ground for a moment. That explained a lot of Nick’s reactions, the hints he’d been dropping about possibly leaving when her parents did, and how he’d kind of been avoiding spending time with her when her parents were around. 

“I’ve got a lot of siblings, quite a few who are younger than me. They need Mom and Dad more than me.” She explained. “I’m the only one to move out of Bunnyburrow, so they fuss a lot more over me than the others, which is weird. I can take care of myself.”

She wasn’t defenseless here in Zootopia. She had Nick and Fru Fru, who had stopped by to check on her a few times. The Ottertons had also offered to have her stay with them for a little while. She had lots of options. 

“Always been the independant type?” Nick drawled, the corner of his muzzle curving up in a small, but genuine smirk. 

“Always been a ‘tryer’.” Judy smiled back.”Had to try this, had to try that. But also, I think I’ve been standing too long, and my leg’s killing me.” It was like a bone deep ache that radiated from her injured leg, accompanied by sharp violent pain if she moved it wrong. 

She’d never hurt a limb this bad before, and it wasn’t an experience she’d ever want to repeat.

Nick glanced around, then released her arm, and crouched down in front of her. “Come on.” He said, making little grabby motions with his paws. 

Judy stared at him for a moment. She hadn’t had a piggyback ride since she was knee high to a grasshopper. It was totally undignified…

And yet it meant she didn’t have to walk all the way back to the tenth floor, where their hospital room was. 

“Thank you.” She said quietly, limping over and pitching herself forward, draping herself over his back. It took a moment to figure out what to do with her crutches, they were unwieldy and clunky, banging into Nick, until she got her arms around his neck, crutches hanging down. 

“Up we go.” He said, paws grabbing her by the thighs and bouncing her up higher on his back, until her face was pressed against the back of his head. He wobbled for a second, then got his balance, rising back up on his feet and walking back towards the hospital. It was certainly much faster than the gimpy pace she could muster at the moment. 

“Thanks.” Judy said quietly, resting her face against his neck. “Seems like you’re always saving me.” She muttered, feeling embarrassed and guilty as they approached the hospital doors, which opened for them.

Nick made a thoughtful sound as he avoided some walking hippos, and nodded at the nurse at the front desk, who waved them to the back. “It’s more like we’re saving each other, Carrots.” He said quietly, pitching his voice so no one else could hear their conversation.

“Really?” Judy questioned. “Cause you wouldn’t have been shot or in this mess if I hadn’t blackmailed you into it.”

They paused outside the elevator, standing next to a couple of zebras and a jaguar, who gave them a perplexed look. Neither Nick or Judy said anything as the elevator arrived, and they got in, riding up in silence. 

She’d spent a lot of time, waiting for them to find a cure, then for Nick to wake up from it, thinking about it. Yeah, he’d still probably be hustling, but it would probably have been safer for him if she hadn’t forced him into it to begin with. They’d almost died so many times. Frozen by Mister Big, eaten by a savage jaguar, runaway train car, explosions, being shot at, turning savage… 

The elevator finally stopped at their floor, Nick stepping out. “You’re probably right.” Nick amiably agreed, jolting her out of her thoughts. “But I don’t regret it.”

“You don’t?” Judy looked up, trying to catch a glimpse of Nick’s face to gauge his sincerity. 

“Nope.” He gave her non-injured leg a squeeze. “So don’t fret over it. And if you’re curious, I’ll tell you why later, I’ve had enough talking about my ‘feelings’ today with the therapist.” The last part came out in a sarcastic drawl. 

Judy chuckled, pressing her face against his fur again. “I may hold you to that.” She warned as they approached the room they’d been sharing. The antelope nurse that had been checking in on them frowned, checking a clipboard they walked up. 

“That’s fine.” Nick nodded at the nurse. “But for now, I think it’s nap time. Or time for painful shots, depending on how naughty Nurse Pronghorn here thinks you have been.” 

Nurse Pronghorn gave them both an exasperated look that made visions of needles swim past Judy’s eyes. “Nap sounds good.” Judy said quickly, trying to look tiny and meek, and not at all like she’d been standing on her leg like she wasn’t supposed to be saying goodbye to her parents. 

Nick, the jerk, just laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

“You’re gonna be a _fuuuzzzzzzzz_.” Finnick crooned, then cackled wildly, clutching his tiny stomach as he rocked back and forth. 

Nick sighed, waiting for Finnick to get it out of his system. Seriously, there was no talking to him when he got like this. 

He glanced over at the hospital, from his point by Finnick’s van. They were all packed up and ready to go, just waiting on Judy, who was going over last minute care instructions for her leg. And probably being warned away from him, as a scary predator who might return to being savage at any time. Not that he was worried that. Nope.

“Oh, geez.” Finnick wiped an eye with the back of his paw. “And I thought being hustled into helping the bunny was funny. But you’re totally doing this, going legit.”

“Yup.” Nick shrugged. “Well, maybe not totally legit. I kind of think of it as ‘hustling the cops’.”

“Oh, yeah?” Finnick looked at him, as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Hustling the cops for what?”

“Haven’t quite figured that part out yet.” Nick admitted and Finnick nearly fell over with how hard he was laughing. 

Nick glanced around, realising that Finnick’s booming laughter was getting them some odd looks, and subtly kicked Finnick with his foot, knocking the fennec fox over. Sadly, Finnick just rolled with it, sitting down on the ground and grinning up at Nick, fluffy tail twitching in amusement. 

“It’s that bunny of yours, isn’t it?” Finnick grinned. “She blinked those big violet eyes of hers and off you go.” 

Nick thought it over, then shrugged. “Eh. Kind of.” He admitted. It was more complicated than that, but it worked. 

Finnick’s laughter faded, looking at Nick with a seriously expression. “So it’s like that, is it?” He asked, pointing to the side of the van, where a depiction of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl was painted.

Nick had only heard the story once, just after Finnick had the van painted, when Finnick had been so deep in his cups he hadn’t even fought when Nick picked him up to carry him home to bed. 

Iztaccíhuatl’s father, the Chief, had promised her hand in marriage to Popocatépetl, if he could slay their enemies, assuming Popocatépetl would be killed in the attempt. Iztaccíhuatl refused to marry anyone else, and when word was sent back by another suitor that Popocatépetl had been killed in battle, she killed herself. 

Popocatépetl returned home, triumphant, only to learn that Iztaccíhuatl was dead. So he gathered up her body, and carried her to the top of the mountain, where the gods froze them. Or they became the mountains. Finnick had been really hard to understand at that, his words slurring together.

Nick only had bits and pieces for the context, picked up from years of working with Finnick. 

Finnick had been married, once upon a time. She and Finnick had originally mixed like oil and water, and then they’d fallen in love according to some old card sharks Finnick hung out with. And from a glimpse of photo before Finnick had snapped it shut, she’d been a pale fennec fox. 

And she was dead. How much of that had to do with Finnick being a hustler, Nick didn’t know. But he did know that she had been the love of the small fox’s life. 

“Not quite.” Nick said quietly, rubbing his neck. He certainly had no interest in marrying Judy, much less anyone else. He’d sworn that off years ago. “It just… Have you ever… just ‘clicked’ with someone?” 

It was hard to explain it. Where she was weak, he was strong. And where he was weak, she was strong. They were really different, but similar too. They worked. Around Judy he just felt… open. Like he could do anything, _be_ anything. And he wanted that. 

“Yeah.” Finnick rumbled, looking down at the ground, then up at the side of the van, where the picture of the barbarian cradling his lady-love’s body was. 

Nick stayed silent, just watching his friend. 

Then Finnick shook his head, long ears flopping. “You knew this dame for three days, and when you went feral, you already knew her as pack. You got it baaaad.”

“She out-hustled me, followed my lead on a con like a dream, saved my life-” Nick counted on his fingers. “-AND, she’s the Godmother to Mister Big’s Grandchild, with Big’s blessing and welcoming to the family.” 

Finnick stared up at him with wide eyes. “You ain’t got it bad, you in _trouble_.” He said, settling back against the van. 

“Seriously, right?” Nick scoffed at himself. If he messed this up, he wouldn't be safe with either the underground or the cops. He closed his eyes and tilting his head up towards the sun, leaning against the warm metal of the van as well. “-We good though?”

He’d known Finnick from years, learning a lot of tips and tricks of the trade from him. They’d been through a lot together, worked well as a team for cons. Even if Finnick was a grouchy pain in the ass, he didn’t want to lose his oldest friend. 

“Even though you’re going on the side of goodness and light?” Finnick growled, baring his tiny pointy teeth. 

“Yeah.” 

“Might make sharking the underground card games little awkward.” Finnick rumbled. “But yeah, we good.”

Nick relaxed, smiling to himself. “Academy doesn’t start for another three months anyway.” He casually mentioned. “Won’t be legal until I graduate.”

The Academy ran nine months, then there was supposed to be three months on the job training with a more experienced officer. Judy had graduated a few weeks before arriving in the city and getting busted to Traffic Enforcement, which was a different department entirely. 

Which meant he’d missed the latest class. He probably could have pulled some strings, as one of the ones who cracked this case, to get into the current class of Academy late. But it seemed like a wiser idea to wait. Give him some time to get his head back on straight. 

Finnick cackled. “That’s my Nicky.” He nudged Nick’s leg. “Always finding the loopholes.”

Nick grinned broadly. It was kind of ingrained at this point. 

“Should I worry?” Judy’s breathless voice asked, and he opened his eyes to see her quickly approaching on the crutches. When the pain meds were working, and she had energy, she was damn near faster on the crutches than on two legs. He’d even seen her idly pick up both legs and just hover in mid air for a few seconds, propped up by the crutches. 

The bursts of energy never lasted long though, which was good for keeping up with her. 

“Yes.” Finnick grinned at her, all pointy teeth. “Nick’s a kisser.”

“Oi!” Nick straightened up, alarmed. 

“Oh, I know.” Judy said cheerfully. “That whole ‘loving Dad act’ in the Ice Cream Parlour was _very_ believable. Also, I still can’t get the fur on my back of my neck to lay flat after he drooled all over it.”

“Hey!” Nick protested, feeling any chance of ending this car ride home with any sort of dignity slipping away through his claws. “No fair bringing up stuff I can’t remember!”

Which was a lie, but only by a little. Most of what he remembered while being savage was scents and sensations. Impressions, mostly. Judy had smelled like him, that was the big thing. 

He didn’t like to think about what would have happened if she hadn’t. 

“I like you.” Finnick said to Judy, smiling in a somewhat charming manner. “You can sit up front with me.” 

Where Finnick could talk to Judy, and grill her for details. “No! No! Bad idea!” Nick waved his hands. 

“Well, she can’t sit in the back.” Finnick continued smoothly. “She’s got a broken leg.” 

Judy glanced between Finnick and Nick, a sly grin slowly stretching across one side of her face. “Front sounds good.” She said in a sweet tone that made the hair on the back of Nick’s spine rise. “You’ve known Nick a long time, haven’t you?”

“ _Ages_.” Finnick promised, escorting Judy to the front of the van with a grand gesture. Finnick glanced at Nick and winked. “I know all the **good** stories.”

“Yay!” Judy sounded delighted, and entirely too clever for Nick’s own good. “I _love_ good stories!” 

“Wait! Wait wait wait wait!” Nick followed quickly, leaping ahead to open the van door as he tried desperately to think of something to distract them. Finnick passed Nick her crutches as she carefully climbed inside, a look of pure evil on his face. 

“Hey, Darling?” Finnick drawled, flashing Nick a sly smile. “You ever hear about when we worked at a little place in Little Rodentia called ‘Chez Cheez’?” 

“WE SWORE WE’D NEVER SPEAK OF IT AGAIN!” Nick yelped.

“I lied.” 

Judy gave them both a very _interested_ look, silently laughing at him. He glared at her, drawing a line under his chin with the side of his paw, trying to signal her to cut it out. 

Judy grinned broadly, settling herself in Nick’s usual seat, glancing between the two of them. “Can’t say that I have.” Judy said dryly, and Finnick cackled, shutting the door behind her. 

“I like her.” Finnick rumbled quietly, patting at Nick’s leg as he passed, making his way around the front of the van to the driver’s side. 

Nick sighed. This was _so_ not going to end well for him or his pride. 

Judy tapped on the window, getting his attention, then gave him a quick wink and a reassuring smile to let him know she was just playing with him. 

He smiled back, then walked back to the back of the van, her crutches over one shoulder. 

Well, he guessed it was only fair. He’d met her parents, now it was her turn to meet who Nick called his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for those wondering where the whole 'van art' thing came from, Cory Loftis, one of the artists who worked on the movie, [posted a bunch of art that was in the movie](http://coryloftis.tumblr.com/post/140653798929/exciting-weekend-for-zootopia-for-those-of-you), including Finnick's van.  
> The painting [appears to be in reference](https://www.reddit.com/r/zootopia/comments/49fskm/the_van_art_in_all_its_glory/) to '[Leyenda de los volcanes](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leyenda_de_los_volcanes)' by [Jesús Helguera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jes%C3%BAs_Helguera), based on the story of [Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popocat%C3%A9petl_and_Iztacc%C3%ADhuatl), which is the origin myth for two volcanic mountain ranges in Mexico.  
> -The painting representing Finnick and his wife is my own headcannon, based off [Bryon Howard saying Finnick is older than Nick](https://mobile.twitter.com/ByronPHoward/status/706880840341393408), and that I'm a sucker for origin stories and mythology.  
> 'Chez Cheez' is mentioned in the artbook, as restaurant chain in Little Rodentia that Nick and Finnick once worked at in an early draft... and I can't find my link for that at the moment, sorry. ^^;; (Seriously, my reference link list is a little crazy)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * * *
> 
> POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING
> 
> See notes at the bottom of chapter. 
> 
> * * *

* * *

“No no no no no…” Judy whimpered as glowing eyes and glistening fangs followed her. She couldn’t escape, they chased her no matter how fast she moved, no matter what twists and turns she attempted to get away.

There was a rushing in her ears, and she glanced back to see claws and fangs diving in from above, too fast for her to outrun. She could feel teeth rip into her side-

“Aaaah!” Judy sat up with a gasp, staring unseeing at the darkness. She put a paw to her side, feeling soft fur and unbroken flesh. She was fine, just a dream, a nightmare, that’s all it was. 

“Carrots?” A sleepy voice murmured. There was the tap of a claw against a phone screen, the dim glow of the screen lightening the room and she glanced over to find-

Glowing eyes. 

With a gasp, she flung herself backwards on the bed, scooting until she nearly fell off, her leg throbbing in pain. Predator. There was a predator in the bed, it was going to _kill_ her, and she couldn’t _run_ ….

There was a rustle, then the sound of claws against something hard, the flashlight of the her turning on, shedding more light in the room, and illuminating the sharp edges of a fox. 

Fox. 

Fox. Fox. Fox. Fox. 

Fox was going to _eat_ her, with the sharp claws, and the terrible fangs, and the glowing eyes, and-

“Judes?” A gentle voice prompted, and she realised she had her paw pressed up against her cheek where three narrow scars were hidden under the fur. “Judy?”

Nick. 

Nick was a fox. 

Foxes were predators. 

Nick wouldn’t hurt her. 

The contradiction paralysed her as she stared at Nick, Nick with the glowing eyes, his expression filled with worry. 

“Judy?” He tried once more and she jolted in surprise, bouncing up and down in place. He gave a soft rueful chuckle. “I guess it’s your turn tonight.” 

That was right. They were in Nick’s place in the Rainforest district, full of pipes and dripping water. The scent of the water should have been enough to let her know where she was, but it hadn’t pierced her panic filled mind. 

He’d had a nightmare the previous night, their first night out of the hospital. The memory was an illusive thing, half remembered in the haze of the early morning. Nick had woken up in a panic. He hadn’t calmed down until he’d checked her over with shaking paws and twitching nose, verifying that she was fine. 

It had taken a while for him to settle afterwards, finally falling asleep while using her as a pillow, one ear pressed against her chest to listen to her heart and breathing. 

It had been good, grounding. After years of sleeping in cuddly piles with her siblings, the weight of another body pressed against hers was reassuring.

Nick moved, reaching out towards her, and she flinched away from his claws, her paws coming up to guard her face. He jerked backwards, face falling into a blank mask, retreating both physically and emotionally, and she groaned. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. They’d been _through_ this. Nick was her friend, he wasn’t going to hurt her. And yet… And yet… “I’m sorry.” She echoed, frustration and guilt choking at her throat. 

“It’s fine.” He shook his head, tail curving around him like a protective wall. The cell phone light dimmed, and turned off, hiding him in the shadows. “You were attacked by a predator, it’s a natural response.”

“It’s _not_!” Judy snapped back, getting annoyed at herself. She wanted to stop waking up scared in the middle of the night. She wanted _them_ to be alright. She wanted to curl up with Nick like they had been doing ever since the night he’d gone savage. 

But the thought of getting close to his claws right now terrified her, the memory of glowing eyes haunting her even though she knew she was awake, and the danger was now past. 

“It is.” Nick said quietly. “Especially since I’m the one who…” He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. 

Judy swallowed, heart thudding loudly in her chest, even as she ached for Nick. Nick had lost his sense of self. Yeah, he was a predator, but he’d ever thought himself as ‘dangerous’ until the Night Howler extract had robbed him of all reason. 

He blamed himself for this. If anything, it was her fault, for not checking the gun. For coming up with the failed plan to switch the pellets for the blueberries in the first place. 

And she’d told him that it wasn’t his fault, repeatedly. She knew it deep down in her belly, and she’d keep telling him that until he believed it. 

But it didn’t stop the little niggling ‘what if’ in the back of her mind. If he hadn’t thought of her as pack, only seen her as an interloper, or prey, like the other animals who had turned savage had reacted to those around them. 

-He had seen her as pack though. She took a deep breath and let it out, calming down. Rabbits didn’t have packs, they had herds. They had families. 

And Nick was _her_ family. 

She scooted forward, hesitantly crawling up to the head of the bed again. His bed was barely big enough for the two of them to share, they’d split it mostly down the middle the first night, Nick at the bottom, her at the head, their feet tangling in the center. With both of them having nightmares, that hadn’t lasted even half the night. 

Nick flinched and shied away as she approached him, then settled when she didn’t move away. “Lie down.” She urged, exhausted again. 

“I…” He swallowed, seeming to have trouble getting words past his throat. “I can leave.” He offered quietly.

“No.” She shook her head. It was _his_ nest. “Lie down.” 

Nick gave himself a small shake, then did as instructed, curling up on his side with his back to her, tail wrapped tightly around him, as if to keep himself contained in the smallest possible ball. Judy sighed, then lay down behind him, her face buried at the back of his head, tossing her injured leg over his ribcage to keep him from escaping. 

“Oh, I see.” Nick said, trying for jovial and not quite making it. “Going after my neck now.”

“Yeah, you’ve got to be careful with us savage bunnies.” She said dryly. “Grrr.” 

He chuckled, but it still came off a little choked. They lay there in silence, both of them not moving in a strange sort of limbo. Not entirely comfortable, but not uncomfortable either. 

Finally, she sighed, her body unlocking and relaxing. “We’ll get better.” She whispered, rubbing her face against his fur. He smelled comforting, and nice. Little musky, like she guessed all foxes were. “It might take a little while, but you’re my partner, and I trust you. We’ll be fine.” 

Eventually. Maybe not right away. But they’d get there, little by little. 

He gave a small shake, then seemed to deflate a little. “That your way of saying you love me, Carrots?”

She smiled. “Maybe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is in response to two prompts on Disney_Kink: [Nick talking Judy down from a panic attack](http://disney-kink.livejournal.com/11667.html?thread=7157139#t7157139) and [both Nick and Judy have PTSD/Night Terrors from the events in the museum](http://disney-kink.livejournal.com/11667.html?thread=7163795#t7163795).
> 
> If this is something you cannot deal with, no worries, hit the back button and come back next week for lighter fare. If it is, read on!
> 
> Descriptions of Nick's place come from Armand Serrano's [Development sketches of the inside of Nick's apartment](http://armandserrano.tumblr.com/post/140802888664/zootopia-post-4-nicks-apartment-in-the-earlier) and [Matthias Lechner's environmental artwork](http://www.matthiaslechner.com/zootopia.html) (ctrl+f / search for 'leaky apartment' to find the particular picture).


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

“You _sure_ you’re okay up there?” Nick asked, watching Judy climb around on the pipes that made up most of his ceiling. 

“Re _lax_.” She laughed. He shifted to catch her in case she fell anyway, his heart beating a little faster than he wanted to admit. He still wasn't sure how it'd come to this, Judy had been feeling a bit restless, and... well.... 

Rabbits didn’t usually _climb_ , did they?

“I’m used to all sorts of work like this.” Judy said idly, straddling the large pipe and he relaxed slightly. “Farms don’t make themselves, you know. We had to build everything we needed, and fix anything that broke ourselves.” 

“Uh, huh.” He was sure there was a joke he could make somewhere in there, but for the moment he was a little too distracted to think of it. This probably wasn’t good for her leg, but he’d been unable to talk her out of it.

She shot him an amused look as she reached into the bag slung over her shoulder, and pulled out the epoxy she was patching the small leaks with. “With as many siblings as I have, plumbing was a frequent thing to go down. I’m just happy these aren’t septic lines.”

It took a second for her words to sink in, and he recoiled, clapping a hand over his nose, his tail bristling in horror. She laughed. “Yeah. My sense of smell isn’t as keen as yours, but when one of those lines broke, whoooo boy. Depending on the wind, you could smell it for _acres_. Good for manure though.”

“Wait, you _pooped_ in the fields you grew your food with?!” He demanded. 

“Only when we’re little and not toilet trained.” Judy said cheerfully, spreading the epoxy over the small leak. 

Nick made a mournful sound. “I’m not sure I trust blueberries from your parents farm anymore.” He shot her an annoyed look. “Next you’ll tell me that you peed on the bushes.” 

“Not me, no. Little hard to get the angle right to pee up into the bushes. My brothers though… probably.” 

“Carroooots.” 

“Don’t worry, we wash them before we sell them.” She paused in mid-motion, a grimace crossing her face. “Usually.” 

“Don’t ruin blueberries for me.” He gave her an injured look. “They’re all I have in my life that’s pure and beautiful.” 

Well, maybe not the _only_ thing… 

She snickered, setting the epoxy aside and pulling out the duct tape. She laid the tape on top of the epoxy, applying pressure before leaning over the side to pass him the tape. He pulled it snug and wrapped it around the underside, then passed it back up to her. They worked in silence, getting a good tight bandage around the pipe. 

“There.” Judy said, ripping the tape with her teeth, and smoothing the end down. “It’s not permanent, but it’s better than it was.”

Nick shrugged. “Anything is an improvement over what it was.” His place was a dive. He knew it, she knew it, and there really wasn’t anything he could do about it. To really stop the leaks, they’d have to turn off the water and replace some of the joints and pipes, and it was highly unlikely that was ever going to happen. 

Not that he was real attached to the place. It was what he could afford at the time. And to be honest, he was a lousy housekeeper. He was lazy and didn’t see the point in it when the place was already pretty trashed even without him in it. 

Although, with someone else here, he was kind of wishing he had a broom or something. Judy hadn’t said anything about the clutter around the place, or the cockroaches running across the the floor that he’d idly commented that if she caught any, if she could put them in a jar to trade to the armadillo on the next floor up in exchange for whatever fruit they had. 

Although she and Fru Fru had been frantically texting back and forth about places to look at for rent. 

Honestly, he wasn’t looking forward to her moving away, but he’d feel better knowing she was living in a safer location.

A pounding on the door startled them, and he glanced up at Judy, putting a finger to his lips, motioning her to hide herself up in the pipes. She gave him a confused look, but did as he bid, scooting back so she was hidden among a tangle of grey pipes. 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small container of Fox Repellent that Judy’s parents had left behind and sprayed the smallest spritz he could on the door frame. Instantly, his eyes started to water and he recoiled from it. 

Geez, that stuff was nasty. He wrinkled his nose and tucked the repellant back in his pocket before opening the door, attempting to plastered a large grin across his face. “If it isn’t my favourite landlord! What can I do for you today, Grizzly?” 

The large silvertip grizzly bear reared backwards, clamping both paws over his nose. “The fudge is that smell?!” He demanded. “Something die in here?!”

“Wish I knew.” Nick opened the door wider, grateful for the breath of fresher air as he motioned into the small room. “Just started today, I’m tearin’ the place apart trying to figure it out myself. It’s not the dishes or the garbage, beginning to think it’s in one of the pipes.” 

He’d washed the dishes when they first arrived, embarrassed by the state of the place. Judy had helped, leaning against his side as she dried, humming quietly to herself in between trading quips. It’d been the first time he could remember ever being sad to see the bottom of the sink while doing dishes. 

The giant grizzly grunted and stalked away, heavy footsteps echoing throughout the building. “I’ll keep you informed!” Nick called after. 

He waited until the bear had disappeared back down stairs, most likely heading to his recliner where he seemed almost permanently attached to, when he wasn’t snarling at his tenants, and then shut the door. “Whoo.” He breathed a sigh of relief, and then gagged on the stench. 

Judy peered out from the pipes, her ears tilted at an angle, looking confused. 

“Did you know.” Nick said, all forced joviality as his ears watered slightly at the smell. “That out of all the animals, bears have the best sense of smell? Over seven times better than a trained canine’s?”

What was bad for Nick, had to be absolutely killer for his landlord. 

“I did not.” Judy said gravely. “Although I am rather curious about that stench.” 

“Eh, your parents dropped one last one in your luggage.” Nick pulled out the bottle of Fox Repellant and wiggled at her. The look of horror that flashed across Judy’s face was a beautiful sight, nearly as much as the indignant anger that followed. 

“Thought I’d gotten them all. Sorry, Nick.” Judy frowned. “Wait. When did you go through my luggage?!”

“I saw them slip it in. They’re not exactly subtle.” He waved it off. It wasn’t as if he’d gone nosing around in her personal stuff, it’d been right on top. “The important part of that is that my landlord isn’t likely to come back, at least for today. And since I am _technically_ not supposed to have anyone over, we should be free and easy for a little while.”

Not that it was usually heavily enforced. Finnick had been in and out of Nick’s rooms lots of times, but it was too damp for the desert loving fox to be comfortable staying in for long. 

“You’re not?” Judy looked confused. 

“This isn’t exactly a legal living space.” Nick gestured up at all the pipes. Some had been messily re-routed to form the bathroom and kitchen, but that didn’t change the fact that the room had once been part of a monitoring station for the Rainforest District’s rain network. “Not precisely up to code, is it?” 

“I…” Judy looked around, then bit her lower lip, a worried expression on her face like she was biting back concerned questions. 

Nick sighed. He hated when they came up across something like this, something that she had never experienced before, so she _didn’t know_. It crushed a little bit more of that optimistic shine she had. 

“Most places don’t want to rent or sell to predators.” He crossed his arms across his chest, looking at the wall under the pipe she was resting on, rather than up at her face. “Claims it drives property interest down, because who is going to want to live next to someone who might eat them in their sleep?”

“That’s-!” Judy shut her mouth with a snap, expression thunderous. That wasn’t fair. 

“Yeah.” Nick agreed, tail lashing for a moment before he stilled it. “I know. We’re only 10% of the population anyway, so turning a pred away isn’t a big deal, there’s always someone ‘safer’ to rent to.” 

She made a growling sound in the back of her throat, and he glanced up to find her with her forehead pressed against the surface of the pipe, claws out and pressed against the metal. 

“Breathe, Carrots. Don’t let it get you down.” He advised, then paused. “Actually, let’s get you down. I think the pipes are as good as they’re gonna get.” They’d stopped the drips from the area around where he slept, which meant the actual living areas were now fairly dry. 

“Yeah, okay.” She muttered. Judy was silent as she passed the bag of patching stuff down to him, then carefully eased herself down, Nick catching her around the hips, and slowly setting her down on the ground. 

His clawtips could almost completely encircle her waist. It was a little bit of a funny realisation, because Judy seemed so much larger in his head, yet she really was so tiny. The top of her head didn’t even come up to his shoulder. 

“You alright?” He asked quietly, letting her lean on him, escorting her back over to the bed. 

“Just angry.” She admitted. “It’s not… It’s not _right_.” 

Nick shrugged. Previously, he would have said it is what it is, the way of the world. 

Except he was starting to think, starting to hope, that maybe it wasn’t. “It didn’t exactly help finding a place that I don’t have stable employment.” He said, self depreciating. “Tax records and all that.”

This place was all he could find when he’d gone house hunting, learning about it from a friend of a friend. At the time, it’d seemed amazing, a real step up from the literal hole in the ground he’d been living in. He kind of wondered what he’d been thinking back at the hospital, inviting Judy here, to this dump. 

-That was wrong, he knew what he’d been thinking. That he hadn’t wanted to be separated from his pack. Which he’d be embarrassed for still running on instinct, even days after being cured, except Judy didn’t seem to want to go anywhere else either. 

She shot him a look that was partly annoyed, but mostly amused. They both knew that his employment and tax records were changing. He helped ease her back on to the bed, her eyes drooping as soon as she sat down. 

“Need a painkiller?” He asked, and she shook her head.

“It’ll send me to sleep.” Judy said with a grimace of distaste. She pulled out her phone and tapped a few buttons, unlocking it. “And I’ve got a message from Fru. More housing suggestions. Her Dad says hi, by the way.”

Nick chuckled, amused by how quickly Judy had been taken in by the Big family. Little worried too, but mostly amused. They had treated him well, until the whole ‘skunk butt rug’ incident. 

He should probably explain what happened to Judy at some point. In retrospect, it was kind of funny.

He went and got himself a glass of water, then climbed into bed behind Judy, idly wrapping himself around her. She shifted so she was using his chest as a pillow, the cast propped up on his legs. It seemed like it should have felt strange, how fast he’d got used to cuddling like this, the two of them easily finding places for limbs. 

Nick always slept alone, ever since he was a cub. But Judy wasn’t shy about moving them so that they were both comfortable, and he found he didn’t mind. Preferred it really, feeling her breathing next to him, knowing that she was safe. Made it easier to get back to sleep when he woke up in the middle of the night.

He wouldn’t be surprised if they both passed out for a nap in a little while. They were both healing from a ‘traumatic incident’, and between alternating nightmares, long stretches of sleep wasn’t exactly happening. The therapists at the hospital had said this would probably happen, the brain’s way of trying deal with what had happened. 

He checked emails, silently dismissing several contacts who were asking about setting up various cons, then paused as he noticed one email that stood out from the others. 

“Bogo wants to see me tomorrow.” He said, unable to hide his surprise. “You hear anything about that?”

“Only thing I’ve got is a reminder that the doctors want to check my leg and remove the remaining stitches.” Judy shook her head, ears bouncing.

“Huh.” Nick contemplated it, then set about typing a response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Totally true on the Silvertipped Grizzlies](http://www.cracked.com/article_18837_7-superpowered-animal-senses-you-wont-believe-are-possible.html), by the way.


	7. Chapter 7

“Judy!” Clawhauser jumped up and squealed as she limped in through the front doors, crutches under her arms. Nick hovered beside her, offering and willing to carry her, but she wanted to walk into the Police Station under her own power. 

“Hey, Clawhauser.” She smiled and waved back. The train ride into the centre of town had kind of drained her energy, but it was nice to be out and about in the sunshine. 

It was crazy, how exhausting healing and being in pain could be. 

“You here on business? Or just visiting?” Clawhauser asked, leaning over the front of the counter to see them better, his tail looping happily behind him. 

“I’m visiting, still on medical leave for another few days.” Judy smiled. She was hoping to get permission to be on desk duty as soon as possible. Partly because being inactive rankled on her, partly because working meant a paycheque coming in. “Nick’s here on business, he’s got an appointment with Bogo.” 

“Which I should get to.” Nick said, making a show of checking his wrist, which had no watch. She rolled her eyes. “Mind if I leave her here with you?” 

“Nick!” Judy protested. “I don’t need watching over!”

“You can sit back here with me and catch me up on everything!” Clawhauser chirped, opening the side door for her to join him behind the desk. She glanced at Nick, who nodded, looking pleased with the suggestion. 

“Fine.” She sighed, hobbling over to where Clawhauser was waiting. “Worry wart.” Judy muttered as she passed him.

Nick just smiled in return, the tip of his tail curving happily. “You’d do the same for me.” He said smoothly. 

“True.” She acknowledged, pausing at the foot of the narrow stairs that lead up to the desk. There were only three steps, it shouldn’t be a big deal, but it was going to be difficult with the crutches. 

…. Given how narrow they were, how did Clawhauser get up there?

“Is it okay if I pick you up?” Clawhauser asked, concerned. “It’d probably be easier.” 

Judy glanced at Nick, who looked sort of like he wanted to offer the same thing, and tried to figure out a different way that wouldn’t end up with jostling her leg. “Yeah.” She sighed. “It’s fine.” 

Clawhauser let a soft gleeful squeal, crouching down and picking her up under her arms, then turning and gently setting her down on the spare chair. “Here you go.” He almost cooed. “You’re so light!” 

“Um. Thanks?” She ventured, not sure if that was a compliment or not. Nick laughed quietly in the background and she shot him an annoyed look.

“Alright, I’ll see you in a bit.” Nick waved, then shut the desk door after them. 

“Half an hour, then I go find you!” Judy reminded him. “We have a doctor’s appointment in an hour.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Nick’s voice faded as he wandered off. “See you soon, sweetheart.” 

Judy shook her head, amused at her partner’s antics. She set the crutches down next to her as Clawhauser settled down next to her.

“Sooooo…” Clawhauser drawled, and she winced. She hadn’t seen Clawhauser since she’d first turned in her badge, and she knew the cheetah would want to hear what happened with Bellwether out of her own mouth. And probably what was going on with her and Nick too.

Except she didn’t really want to talk about it again. It seemed like whenever she saw anyone, that was all they did, was talk about what happened and she was kind of sick of getting drilled over it. The past day or so had been nice for the relative quiet, away from the hospital. 

And that’s not why she came here. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you.” She said, steeling herself the the conversation. “Apologise, really.” 

That stopped Clawhauser in his tracks and he deflated slightly. “Apologise?” 

“I…” She fiddled with the crutches. “At the press conference, I said some stupid things, and I hurt you and a lot of other animals with my ignorance. And I wanted to say I’m sorry for that. For hurting you.” 

And hurting Zootopia. She’d watched the streets as they rode the train in, predators were still given funny looks, as if they were going to pounce and attack at any moment, even though they were innocent from Bellwether’s propaganda. 

She was slowly learning, and accepting, from talking with Nick that Zootopia had always been a bit broken. She’d just kind of accidentally brought what was lurking to a head. 

That didn’t mean she had to like it, or she couldn’t try to change things for the better. Little things lead up to big things, such as apologising to the one person who’d actually helped her in the ZPD. 

Clawhauser let out a little squeal, and she looked up to find him clutching both paws up to his mouth. “Oooh!” He cooed. “You are _adorable_! Can I hug you? Is that okay? I won’t hurt you-?” The last part was half plea, half promise.

“Um.” She blinked, taken by surprise at his reaction. “Yeah. It’s fine.”

“Eee!” He squeaked again, and suddenly she was pressed up against the curve of his large round cheeks, a loud happy purr vibrating her body. Judy laughed, stretching her arms out and hugging him back the best she could. 

“I’m keeping you.” Clawhauser announced pulling back, so he could look at her, resting her in one crook of his large arms. “Well, I mean, the _ZPD_ is keeping you, but… Friends?” He offered, looking slightly tentative, like he was afraid that she might say no.

“I’d love that!” Judy said honestly, and he gleefully squeaked, rubbing his face against her belly as he cuddled her again. “Friends!”

Judy made a happy noise, hugging his head once more. She could always use more friends. 

Clawhauser paused, and made a kind of snuffling noise. “You smell like fox.” He said, sounding a little confused. 

“I’m currently staying with Nick.” She explained. He pulled her away again, giving her a contemplative look. Judy laughed nervously. “That was actually something I had not anticipated before I agreed, just how _musky_ foxes are.” 

She’d gone kind of nose blind to it after being curled up with Nick when he was savage, and stopped noticing it. Finnick kind of had it too, but a little different. Nick’s apartment had smelled kind of musky, but mostly damp, and she hadn’t really put it together until she’d found the ‘Musk Mask’ deodorant in the bathroom. 

“That they are.” Clawhauser agreed, carefully setting her down on the other chair again. “Little bit like skunks, really.”

“We didn’t really have skunks in Bunnyburrow, so I don’t personally know.” Judy admitted, running a paw over an ear, feeling a bit like the naive country girl she kind of was. Although she’d certainly heard stories of the might of a skunk’s stench. 

“It’s definitely a learning experience.” Clawhauser said diplomatically, and she laughed. 

Someone came up, asking for directions and Clawhauser turned back to his job, getting distracted for the next several minutes. Judy watched him work, slightly in awe of just how much Clawhauser knew about the ZPD, and everyone who worked inside it. 

And he did it so cheerfully too, never losing patience at how slow some animals seemed, or how stupid the question was. Her estimation of him rose quite a bit, Clawhauser was really good at his job. She didn’t think she could man the front desk with the same amount of grace and aplomb that he did. 

“Sorry about that.” He said cheerfully as he sat back down, once a lull happened. 

“It’s fine, it was a pleasure to watch you work.” Judy smiled back. She thought about it for a moment, then reached into her pocket, pulling out her phones. “Actually, you know Zootopia fairly well, right?”

“My goodness, I’d hope so.” Clawhauser nodded. “I was raised here. Well, Sahara Square mostly, but yes.”

“Perfect.” She set the phone down between them, pulling up a map of places Fru Fru recommended. “I’m looking for a place of my own to live in, and a friend suggested some places near Little Rodentia and Tundra Town, but I don’t know the areas well enough to know which one would be better.” 

Fru Fru was a godsent. The arctic shrew had laughed when Judy tentatively texted her about where to look to live. Anyone else, Fru Fru would have put up in one of the Big properties, but with Judy being a cop, Fru Fru had thought that might get sticky. So Fru Fru had recommended several places that she knew, all of which were within close distance to where Fru Fru lived, so that Judy was close by her godchild. 

Manipulative, but in a way that Judy could appreciate and approve of.

She minded less also because Fru Fru was also the only one who wasn’t interested in the ‘juicy bits’ of what happened, just cared that Judy was okay, and was happy hanging out with Nick. 

“OOohhh!” Clawhauser squealed, clicking on the links Fru Fru had sent her and looking at them. “These are some great places! Hey! This one is right by us!”

“Us?” Judy echoed, ears twitching. 

“Oh, well you know that stereotype about cops always living in groups together?” Clawhauser said, tapping his claw tips together. “Well, it turns out it’s kind of true? There’s a couple of cops living there, and three or four of us in the apartment complex next door?” 

Judy hesitated. “I take it they’re predator friendly then?”

“Oh, yeah.” Clawhauser nodded, then hesitated. “That’s not a problem, is it?” He said, sounding slightly wary. 

She shook her head. “The place Nick lives is… kind of bad?” Which was an understatement, but she wasn’t going to pass that on to anyone. Not only was the place obviously not up to code, she was pretty sure he was being overcharged for what he got. “He said it was hard for predators to find places to live.” 

Clawhauser’s expression cleared. “So you’re looking for him too?” 

“Yeah. I’d… kind of like for us to stay at least somewhat close by.” Judy ventured. Ideally, she wouldn’t mind living with him, musky scent and all. Living with Nick was nothing like living with her siblings, and she liked having him around. “But he’s leaving for the next Academy class in a few months, so it’d be only temporary for him.” 

“In _that_ case…” Clawhauser held up a finger, and turned to his computer, typing something surprisingly fast. “Ta-dah!” He pointed at an apartment listing on the screen.

She used her good leg to kick the rolling office chair closer to look over Clawhauser’s arm. “Those are right by the ones you said you lived at.” She said, looking at the address. 

“Yup. And, I happen to know for a fact that they’re student studios with connected balconies.” Clawhauser’s smile widened. “Officer Tigerton lives there, she said that they have a couple of openings, since school just let out for the summer. And most places are happy to take officers, regardless of species. Helps keep the crime rate down in the area.” 

It was on the border of Downtown and Tundra Town, right on a subway line for Central and the Police Station. “That… sounds perfect!” She cheered. 

Clawhauser hesitated, nervously tapping his claw tips together, and she paused, looking at him. “Clawhauser-?” Judy ventured. 

“I know you’ve probably been asked this a thousand times, but you’re currently living with him and looking for housing to be next to him.” Clawhauser said quickly, a hint of seriousness in his playful tone, and she silently braced herself. “And I just want to be sure, because we _are_ friends, but… did Nick _bite_ you?”

“ _WHAT?!_ ” She didn’t mean to yell, it just kind of came out at the top of her lungs. “ **NO!** ”

The silence that followed seemed especially loud and echoing. She glanced around, realising that she’d managed to stop the room. Clawhauser laughed nervously and waved, and animals moved back on with their business. 

“Sorry, for the question, but I **had** to ask.” He hissed, looking uncomfortable. “There’s a lot of rumours and stuff flying around, but the only thing anyone can agree on was that he went savage and your leg was torn up. And well, we see a lot of abuse survivors around here…”

And so the worst was assumed. 

“Oh sweet cheese and crackers.” She groaned. “No. Nick has night-vision, I don’t. We were running through a dark room, he missed the mammoth tusk, I didn’t, and I went down. Nick got drugged and went savage because the idiot wouldn’t leave me and my busted leg behind, and we got caught trying to bring the evidence we had here.” 

“Oh, okay. That makes _so_ much more sense.” Clawhauser said cheerfully, visibly relieved. “So when he went savage-?”

“The worst thing he did was try to groom me.” Which got a little messy, and sometimes complicated due to clothing, which she was not going to remove for him, savage or not. “I was never in any danger from him. Other animals…” She shrugged. Nick had been extremely vocal over who he didn't like. 

“Huh.” Clawhauser tilted his head to the side. “Okay. I’ll let that be known around.”

“Thank you.” Judy said, rubbing her forehead. Oh, geez. She hoped this wouldn’t be an issue when she started back to work. 

“Sorry, Judy.” Clawhauser mumbled. He glanced around, and then brightened, grabbing a pastry box off to the side. “Donut?” He offered, opening the lid and offering it to her. 

“Can I have half-?” She asked, glancing at the selection. Vanilla, sprinkles, ooh some sort of filled one! “I don’t think I could eat a full one right now.”

“Oh yeah, totally. Of course.” He grinned. “I’ll take the other half. Forgot your tummy is smaller than mine.”

“Depends on the day.” Judy smiled back, taking one of the jelly filled donuts. He put the box back, and she held the donut up. “Friendship donut?”

“Friendship donut!” He cheered, smiling widely. They broke the donut in half, then Judy fumbled to catch the red gooey filling before it got everywhere. Clawhauser solved it part ofit by shoving his half in his mouth. She attempted the same with hers, making a mess as the filling spilled out of the pastry, covering her muzzle with raspberry jelly as well. 

Perhaps, Judy mused as she attempted to chew around the pastry in her mouth, a jelly filled donut had been a bad idea. No matter how much she liked them.

“How’s it going up there?” Nick’s voice called. Clawhauser leaned over the top and waved, as Judy scrambled to her feet, trying not to touch anything as she peered over the edge of the tall desk. 

He looked pretty unruffled, aside from his tail which was a bit on the poofy side. She squeaked, unable to form words with her mouth full of donut. 

One of Nick’s eyebrows rose as he looked her over. “Eek.” He finally dead panned, the corners of his mouth curling up in a sly smirk. “It’s a savage bunny. Save me, save me.” 

Judy glared at him as Clawhauser hooted with laughter. “I’ve got some napkins back here.” Clawhauser assured her through his giggles. “And some wet wipes too.” 

Judy sighed, focusing on trying to swallow what she had in her mouth. 

Some days, she had the _worst_ timing.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

Chief Bogo grunted as Nick opened the door, idly gesturing for Nick to take a seat as he shuffled through several piles of paperwork. Nick inclined his head and climbed up onto one of the chairs on his side of the desk, obviously meant for mammals of Bogos’s stature and not Nick’s svelte frame. 

He settled himself down, smiling placidly as he waited for Bogo to finish what he was doing, recognising the intimidation tactic. He’d used the ‘silence and stew’ trick before. Bogo would get to the point eventually, he had other things to do than make Nick wait.

After all, the Chief was a busy animal. 

“It would appear that you have made some very powerful friends in high places.” Bogo finally said, putting his glasses on and picking up a clipboard and moving it in Nick’s direction. “Fill this out. Correctly this time.” 

Nick leaned forward and picked it up. It was an application for employment. “I’ve already filled this out?” Nick ventured, confused. 

“You filled out you were looking to be hired to be a Police Officer.” Bogo rumbled, shuffling through his papers again. “You’re not eligible for that until you pass the Academy.”

“So ‘Law Enforcement Academy Sponsorship or Internship’-?” Nick ventured, quickly filling the form out and signing it. Since he certainly wasn’t looking to become a Correctional Officer or Parking Enforcement. 

“Correct.” Bogo growled, looking annoyed as he took the clipboard back from Nick. “The Commissioner has already signed off approval for you to join the Academy when it starts up again, which means that technically, you do not have to complete the standard prerequisites to get in.”

“However, it’d probably be a good idea for me to pass those standard prerequisites.” Nick concluded. That was the way it work in the crime families, those who got their positions through hard work and determination were regarded better and lasted longer than those who got in because of ‘favours’. 

“Correct.” Bogo drawled, going down a list. “High School Diploma or GED, written tests, oral tests, background felony check, background inquiry with friends and family, polygraph test, fitness test, and valid identification.” 

Nick blinked. He hadn’t been aware there was that much to do in order to get into the Academy, much less the Police force. 

Bogo held out a manila envelope for Nick to take, his smirk got slightly wider. “Do you think you can pass all those?” He asked, challengingly, as if expecting Nick would panic. 

“Well….” Nick pretended to think it over as he leaned forward to take the packet and then sat back down again. “I might have to requisition a copy of my High School diploma, I’m not sure where mine went, but I can’t foresee any problems with the rest.” He smiled benignly at Bogo. 

The Chief was probably expecting him to sweat over the felony check, except that the only time Nick thought he might have been charged was when he was young and stupid, before age 18. Which meant his juvie records should still be sealed. He’d never been caught or charged with anything as an adult. 

Due to his species, he’d known that he’d always be looked at sideways, so he’d kept his nose reasonably clean, keeping his hustles small and only borderline illegal. 

The only thing he’d never considered was what Judy caught him at. Felony Tax Evasion. And he’d deleted that recording himself. 

He hadn’t been lying to Finnick, this really was the best hustle of all. Conning the cops into thinking he honestly was an upright standing citizen. 

Nick hadn’t had this much fun in _ages_. 

“So.” Nick grinned. “When do we get started?” 

Bogo looked like he’d bit into a lemon. “You do realise that should you fail any of these requirements, that you may not succeed in moving onto the Academy.” He rumbled. 

Nick gave him his most offended and appalled expression he could. He was hurt, really he was, that Bogo would think so little of him. 

Bogo just rolled his eyes. 

“You and Hopps start on desk duty the day after tomorrow. Half days, until the cast comes off.” Bogo said, picking up some papers and putting his glasses on to review them, clearly dismissing Nick. “There are two essays I expect on my desk within the month. An autobiography, and why you want to be a cop. No less than one page, no more than three. Any questions?” 

“Just one.” Nick said placidly. “Before I sign all those papers saying that you’re my boss and I have to do what you say, why should I trust you?” 

Bogo’s eyes continued to move over the paper he was reading for a moment more, and then he froze, Nick’s words finally sinking in. “What?”

Nick began to count his fingers. “Mayor Lionheart was corrupt and kidnapping citizens. Assistant Mayor Bellwether was corrupt and drugging citizens, and as we all know, both shit and corruption run downhill.”

Bogo took a deep breath, setting the paper down as he squared his shoulders, staring down at Nick like he was vermin under his hooves. “Just what are you saying?” He rumbled dangerously. 

“I’m saying the first time we met, I had just escaped being eaten by a savage jaguar, which you immediately dismissed entirely based on my species.” Nick said, just a touch of his own anger leaking into his voice, just enough without being accusing. “While you berated one of your own before a civilian and a half dozen officers, all without even glancing at the evidence in front of you.”

There had been claw marks over the sky tram platform, and paint scraped off the pole from the handcuff. Granted, they hadn’t been easy to see in the rain, but Bogo hadn’t even bothered. 

“And then, you broke your word, cutting the 48 hours promised to rookie to solve an impossible case down to 38.” Nick placed his hands placidly in his lap. “The second time we met was when you shove a rookie in front of the sadistic inferno that is the media without any guidance or training, that lead to riots and a breakdown of the city…” 

Nick shrugged. “But I’m sure that’s just coincidence, that playing into Bellwether’s hooves was just an accident.” He said, smiling insincerely. Bogo had the grace to look uncomfortable.

“-And then there was the fact that when Hopps and I broke the case and found the evidence, her first instinct was a bit of civil forfeiture to bring the drug operation to you, because she didn’t believe you’d trust her otherwise.” 

It was called ‘civil forfeiture’ when the police took things without a warrant. When other people took things that weren’t theirs, it was called ‘stealing’ and worth anywhere from a few months to a few years in the slammer. 

“Says a lot about your leadership, doesn’t it?” Nick inquired lightly. “The motto of the ZPD is ‘Trust. Integrity. Bravery.’. And what I’m asking, and what I want to know before I put my tail on the line in a very dangerous job under your guidance, is how true that is.” 

Bogo was silent for a long moment, just staring at Nick, his expression unreadable. 

“I’ll see you in two days.” Bogo rumbled, turning his eyes back to the papers all over his desk, a clear dismissal. 

Nick huffed, sliding out of the chair. Well, that certainly answered that. He walked back to the door, his back straight, despite the fact that his shoulders wanted to slouch. 

He didn’t know why he felt disappointed. 

“And Wilde.” Bogo rumbled. Nick glanced back to see Bogo staring at the desk. “If your question hasn't been successfully answered by the time you go into Academy, I’ll sign off on transfer papers to any other ZPD precinct. For both of you, no questions asked.” 

Nick nodded, then walked out the door, shutting it softly behind him. 

He took a deep breath, gave himself a little shake, then started walking back towards the front doors, ignoring how his tail was slightly bushier than normal from nerves. 

Nick would be lying if he said that he didn’t have some trepidations about this whole thing, about becoming a Police Officer. Partly because of his past, but partly because it was so… different. 

It felt like he was jumping off the sky tram platform again, not knowing if there was going to be a vine waiting for him to grab while he was in free fall. 

But it was too late to back out now, he’d already jumped. Now he just had to see how well he landed. 

Officers nodded absently to him as he passed by, noticing him and not. His ears caught a few whispers about his presence, usually linked with Judy’s name. Already a change, usually he’d be twitchy, expecting them to jump him for a crime he hadn’t committed yet, but nothing set off his danger radar. It was unsettling. 

It was a bit of a relief to spot the large cheetah Judy had been so glad to see at the front desk. Clawhauser appeared to be happily eating something, Judy’s tall grey ears bobbing next to him. “How’s it going up there?” Nick called, trying not to smile as the cheetah leaned over the desk to smile in Nick’s direction. 

Judy’s appearance was a bit of a surprise, red jelly like blood smeared across her mouth. “Eek.” Nick deadpanned, trying not to laugh. “It’s a savage bunny. Save me, save me.” 

Nick was briefly afraid that it was too soon to joke about going savage, but Judy just shot him an annoyed look as the cheetah laughed, digging around in a desk drawer. “I’ve got some napkins back here.” Clawhauser said good naturedly. “And some wet wipes too.”

Nick bit his tongue on a quip about cops and donuts. It was much more entertaining watching Judy try to finish eating, her cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk's. “Ready to go, Hippity-Hop?” Nick inquired as Judy took the wet wipe and scrubbed at her face. 

Judy mumbled something back, disappearing behind the desk. The side door opened, and Nick walked over to find Judy staring down at the stairs in dismay. “We gotcha.” Clawhauser assured her, carefully picking Judy up and lowering her down. 

“I can do it.” Judy mumbled, sounding dismayed as Nick set the manilla envelope on the floor, taking Judy from the cheetah’s grasp. 

“We know.” Clawhauser assured her. “But it’s okay to accept help from friends.”

Nick’s tail waggled a little as he gently settled Judy down on her feet, waiting for her to get her balance before removing his hands. He had a feeling he could like the cheetah. The fact that Judy obviously liked him was a good sign too. 

“Let me know what you think about the apartments.” Clawhauser waved as Nick picked up the envelope, following Judy as she hobbled her way out. 

“Will do! Thanks, Clawhauser!” Judy smiled back. “C’mon, Slick. We got an appointment to get to.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Nick agreed as he followed her. He ignored Clawhauser’s coo about how sweet they were, his mind off on the discussions he’d just had. “What’s this about apartments?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks goes again to my co-worker Liz for sharing stories of her brother going through Police Academy again. The two essays are two he was requested to do upon being accepted.
> 
> Had about five mostly done variations of this chapter written, and none of them felt right. And then I found this post [I Have Opinions About Zootopia And/As Institutional Racism](https://storify.com/peteyreplies/i-have-opinions-about-zootopia-and-as-institutiona), and then everything fell into place. 
> 
> Also, depending on location, most Parking Enforcement is done by non-sworn in officers, or hired corporations. Civilians, essentially. Police Officers can do Parking Enforcement, but Parking Enforcement in general do not have the jurisdiction that a Police Officer does, such as arresting Weaselton. (as stated, [duties and abilities vary by location](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parking_enforcement_officer)) 
> 
> So by announcing Judy was on Parking Duty, Bogo was most likely indirectly stating to the mammals who should have been training her as a rookie cop, that she was not a real sworn in Officer, but little more than a Civilian. 
> 
> Puts a different spin on Judy's protest, doesn't it?


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

“Let me guess. Talking to Fru.” 

Judy looked up from the MuzzleTime screen to grin up at her partner. She turned the camera around so Fru could see Nick, who was leaning against the doorframe of the balcony that connected their apartments, not quite inside. 

The place that Clawhauser had suggested was perfect, and they’d just finished moving all their stuff in. Not that Judy had much, everything fit into one suitcase she could carry herself. Nick had more stuff, and they’d spent the past couple of days sorting through his stuff and deciding what he was going to take. 

She pretended not to see to some of the slightly less legal things he had. They didn’t make the trip with them, and Judy wasn’t going to ask where they went. Nick’s past was his own, and she wasn’t going to judge him for it. 

“Nicky!” Fru waved, looking gleeful. Nick waved back, his expression somehow sarcastic and amused at the same time. “Settling in okay?”

Nick, she had learned, hated to be called ‘Nicky’. But that’s what Mr. Big called him, and he wasn’t about to correct the kingpin, on the grounds that he liked not being shoved in freezing water until death. 

Nick glanced at Judy, silently asking if he could come in, and she rolled her eyes, gesturing him inside. She was used to siblings bursting in and out all the time, but Nick liked his privacy, and now that they had doors between them, was pretty stubborn about gaining permission before entering if he didn’t walk in with her.

He was also very strict about her knocking before entering his room as well. Which was silly, it wasn't like he had anything she hadn't seen before. Or that he was wandering around naked, that was just silly. But still, she did her best to remember. 

“It’s different.” Nick said casually. “Little smaller, but not as damp. Definite improvement on the view and company.” He tossed Judy a wink, the corner of his mouth curving up in a teasing smirk. 

Fru giggled, catching the flirt. Judy just grinned and shook her head, amused by Nick’s charm. 

“Improvement over my last one too.” Judy said, moving the phone back in her direction. “I have a kitchenette for a change, not just a tiny microwave.”

One with a mini-fridge and a sink, even. The showers and toilets were still communal, but it was certainly a step up. 

“From what I understand, Fluff, an elephant’s shoebox would have been an improvement.” Nick drawled, settling himself next to her on the bed. Judy scooted over so she could lean against his warm bulk. 

“Oooh.” Fru wrinkled her nose in an adorable pout. “I wish I could offer you something better, you deserve all the best…”

“I know you would, Fru. But this is great as it is.” Judy booped the camera with the tip of one finger, grateful for her friend’s support, even if she couldn’t take up the offer. “I’m happy where I am.”

“You could always kidnap her on the weekends when I’m at the Academy.” Nick drawled, his eyes closed like he was taking a nap. 

“Good idea!” Fru lit up, and Judy nudged Nick with her elbow, feeling warm that he’d worry about her when he was away. 

“Free babysitting, if nothing else.” Nick added. 

“Nick!” Judy protested Fru laughed merrily. “I don’t need to be kidnapped to care for my own godchild!” 

His reply was lost at a knock on her door. Judy glanced up at Nick, who shot her an equally confused look. 

“Oh, company!” Fru squeaked excitedly. “I’ll let you go! Kisses!” The shrew blew them kisses before the screen went blank, ending the call.

Judy shrugged, easing herself out of the bed, and grabbing a crutch to limp to the door. She was doing better, she could get along with one crutch instead of two, but she couldn’t wait until she didn’t need them at all. “Hello?” She said, opening the door. Nick made an annoyed noise behind her, no doubt wanting her to check for who was on the other side of the door first. She heard him stepping up behind her, backing her up. 

Judy didn’t roll her eyes at his paranoia. That didn’t mean she didn’t want to.

“Hello, Judy dear!” A cheerful voice chirped, a familiar face on the other side of the door. 

“Mrs. Otterton!” Judy beamed at the pair of otters, then reached forward, pulling Mrs. Otterton into a one armed hug. They’d texted back and forth a few times since everyone had gotten out of the hospital, but it was nice to see them in person. “And Mr. Otterton! Hello!” 

“Oh, and Nick’s with you! Hello!” Mrs. Otterton beamed up at him. 

“Hi.” Nick waved weakly back. “Nice to meet you. Now that we’re not all... savage. And stuff.”

“Smooth, Slick.” Judy said dryly, then opened the door wider, motioning the otters in. Nick retreated so they had room to enter. “Can I get you anything to drink?” 

“We’re fine.” Mr. Otterton smiled as they walked in, and she realised that he was carrying a basket. “But thank you.”

“I know you’re probably busy unpacking, but we wanted to drop something off with you before things got too hectic again.” Mrs. Otterton said kindly. 

“Part den warming gift, part favour if you’re willing.” Mr. Otterton adjusted his glasses, then set the basket down in front of her, pulling off the cloth off the top. 

“Oh.” Judy breathed, staring at the flowers. Nick made an odd strangled noise behind her. 

“The Heartsease are for you.” Mrs. Otterton said, picking up one of the small pots filled with colourful flowers and passing it to Nick. “There’s one pot for both of you.”

Nick took the pot and cradled it to his chest, saying nothing.

“You probably won’t have to worry about this, but those of us who were afflicted with the Night Howlers early on have had… Side effects.” Mr. Otterton adjusted his glasses again, a nervous tick Judy guessed. “Drinking tea made from an infusion of Heartsease helps with that.”

“Side effects?” Nick ventured quietly, his ears pressing backwards in distress. 

Mr. Otterton looked uncomfortable, exchanging a look with his wife. 

Mrs. Otterton put a hand on his paw, silently giving comfort and support. “The longer the drug was in the body, the more it altered the body chemistry. And occasionally, there are… relapses. Not often, and not as bad as when completely under the drug’s influence. Stronger protective instincts. A shorter temper and flash of fang.” The corner of her mouth curled up in a very smug smile. “A bit of extra spice in the bedroom.” 

“Dear.” Mr. Otterton chided, embarrassed and Mrs. Otterton giggled unrepentantly. 

Judy glanced up at Nick, who was staring down at the flowers. He was certainly protective of her, but he’d been that way before he’d been drugged too. She’d assumed it was just part of his nature. 

“Thank you.” Nick said quietly, the resignation in his voice making her heart ache. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

“You were only exposed for a few days.” Mr. Otterton said, trying to be reassuring. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”

Not like Mr. Otterton. Or Mr. Manchas. Or the other predators who were drugged for months before Judy finally figured out what was going on. 

“And speaking of the drug.” Mrs. Otterton said, changing the subject. “That part is the gift, this is the favour.”

She pulled out another pot out of the basket, holding it up. The blue crocus was immediately recognisable as a Midnicampum holicithias, a Night Howler. 

“Before everything… happened.” Mr. Otterton said, fidgeting slightly. “I was working on breeding a variety that would bloom year round. The vividness of the blue colour is exceedingly rare in the floral world, and given the insect deterrent capabilities, well… I thought there might be a market for both ornamental and farming purposes.”

“And now that the flowers properties are known, mammals have been coming to the store, asking for the flowers.” Mrs. Otterton said, looking worried. “The police still have all our bulbs after they were stolen by a weasel, but we don’t dare keep this one in the store any longer. We were hoping you could pass it to your family. You said they were farmers?”

“Yes.” Judy agreed, wondering what the chances were that Duke Weaselton was the one who stole the bulbs from their store. Small world. ”My parents use Midnicampum on the farm, that’s how I learned that Night Howlers can cause bunnies to go savage.”

“Bunnies?” Mr. Otterton looked shocked. 

Judy nodded. “One of my Uncles ate one and took a chunk out of Mom’s arm while under the influence when they were kids. It affects both predator and prey.” 

“Well, that’s… good to know.” Mr. Otterton said, dazed.  
“I can pass the flower and any bulbs you have the next time I visit them.” Judy offered. “That way they’ll get used, and Dad won’t let anyone eat them.”

“That’s what we were hoping for, dear.” Mrs. Otterton said, handing Judy the plant. “Thank you so much.”

“Not a problem.” Judy smiled back, cradling the crocus. She smelled the soil and flowers, a small pang going through her at the comforting scents. Zootopia smelled nothing like the farm. 

Judy glanced up at Nick. “Do you think we can make a trip to their store in the next week?” 

His ears twitched in confusion, as if wondering why she was asking him if they could go or not. 

“I’d like more pots, and plants.” Judy motioned to the balcony outside. “We could grow herbs and fresh vegetables out there. More Heartsease too.”

Nick’s tail wagged briefly, before it stilled. “I think we can arrange some time.” He agreed, a pleased smirk on his face. “I’ve got no experience with plants, but I can at least do some of the heavy lifting.” 

“Sounds good.” Judy grinned, turning back to the Ottertons, who looked both surprised and pleased. “I’ve never not been around growing things. Didn’t realise how much I might miss it until you handed me the flower.” She added, a little bashful.

“We’ll set you up.” Mrs. Otterton assured her. “I can recommend some sites for container gardens too. I’ll text them to you later, so you can start planning it today.”

“That’d be fantastic, thank you.” Judy beamed at them. The Ottertons assured her it’d be no problem, and made their excuses to leave, handing Nick the second Heartsease as well. 

“That was nice.” Nick said, once they’d left, sniffing the flowers he was holding. She got the impression that this was probably a new thing for him. 

“It was.” Judy agreed, hobbling over to the bed, and setting the Night Howler down on the table at the head of her bed, right next to the pillow where she could see it before she went to sleep, and when she woke up. A reminder, that even a bunny could go savage.

And occasionally, she could be wrong. 

“I don’t think you’re overprotective, by the way.” Judy said, sitting down on the bed and scooting back until she was leaning against the wall. “Not anymore than I am.”

Nick said nothing, his face a blank mask as he set the Heartsease pots down next to the Night Howler. Judy made a mental note to get something they could make tea in for him later. She didn’t have any fears about him slipping back, but it’d probably ease his mind. 

“Thanks.” He murmured softly, sitting down on the bed and mimicking her pose. She waited until he had settled before scooting next to him, pulling his tail into her lap, enjoying the feeling of comfort it brought her. She liked his tail. 

Nick cleared his throat as he pulled out his phone, pointedly changing the conversation. “What are you thinking of planting?” 

“Simple stuff. Mostly herbs, I think, but I wouldn’t mind some fresh carrots.” She mused. It depended on what kind of light they got here, and if the plants would grow in containers. Mint would be good, and would grow practically anywhere. “If I remember correctly, there’s a lot of things that’ll grow in pots.”

There were even special containers for things like potatoes, so the ripe ones could be scooped from the bottom, leaving layers of potatoes to grow above. 

Nick suddenly went still next to her. “... Lots of things?” He echoed faintly. 

“Yes-?” She ventured hesitantly, turning so she could look him in the face. 

“Blueberries-?” Nick asked hopefully, his eyes sparkling at the thought. 

Judy laughed, poking his phone. “Zoogle it.” 

Nick made an excited sound, doing as instructed. Judy smiled to herself, picking up her phone and texting Fru about what happened. 

She had Nick at her side, a job she loved, friends she talked to frequently, animals who stopped by with gifts, and now was plotting on how to put down roots. 

It was really beginning to feel like she belonged here in Zootopia.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

Nick had no idea what he was going to do. 

It was their first day ‘on the job’ so to speak, and for the most part it had been good. The tour of the Police Station had been amusing, in that he knew about a dozen animals who’d give their eye teeth for such an opportunity to map out the place. 

Talking to Mammal Resources hadn’t been too painful, there was a lot of paperwork and some educational videos to watch in his future, but he was okay with that. 

They'd also given him several polo shirts to wear as part of his uniform while he was interning before the academy. Unfortunately, the smallest size the ZPD currently had had in stock would fit a antelope, which meant he was constantly adjusting it just to stay on. A large part of working a gig was looking the part, which meant that these shirts needed to be fixed, pronto.

He'd have to ask Judy later where she got her uniform, which fit so well it was most likely bespoke. Certainly nothing from their gigantic coworkers would fit her.

Said coworkers seemed as hesitant of him as he was of them. And unfortunately, at least a couple had recognised him from the streets, referring to him as ‘Slick Nick’, laughing about how they’d never being able to pin anything on him. They hadn’t been cruel in their teasing, but Clawhauser had still put a stop to it with some mild rebukes. Nick reminded himself to drop some sweets off to the cheetah later as a quiet thanks.

Thankfully, Judy hadn't noticed, she'd been at what was now their desk, helping to fill out his paperwork. She had most of his information memorised after their time spent in hospital, and he was completely willing to let her handle it, since he had plenty to take care of himself. 

Which now meant that for the first time in memory, he was someone's medical proxy. Should the worst happen, he was responsible for someone's life. Judy was somehow already his, something she'd looked embarrassed about, mumbled something about doctors, and nervously changed the subject.

While Judy was great at bluffing in a pinch, she was a horrible liar.

Which might explain why he hadn't been able to get her to stop fussing over the polygraph test. She’d had to take it three times before they’d given up, unable to get a baseline on her erratic heart and breathing patterns. Nick wasn’t worried about the polygraph at all, as long as he was able to keep his cool, he’d be fine. 

That part was well in paw, at least. It was the thing that Judy hadn't even considered and couldn't help him with that was killing Nick.

The references. They wanted to interview his friends and family, see what they had to say about him. 

Family… Well. Both sets of grandparents were deceased. No siblings. Father dead since he was a small kit and Mother… 

Well, that was complicated. 

He knew just about everyone in Zootopia, but not everyone knew him. And most of the ones who he knew well enough to ask as a reference weren’t the right sort for him could put down. Finnick had a record from before Nick knew him, and would kill him besides. 

He could put down Mr. Big as a former employer, but the head of a large known crime syndicate would raise quite a few red flags and might get him disqualified there. Same thing with anyone under Mr. Big. 

He couldn’t put Judy, they’d really only known each other for less than three months, and Nick needed animals he’d known for a minimum of six months, preferably a lot longer than that. 

Flash was safe, they’d known each other since track team back in High School. Nick sent off a text to the sloth to warn him, and knew it’d be a couple of hours before he got a response. Unless Flash slipped up again, in which case it’d be a couple of seconds. 

Sloths. Who knew, right?

But as far as anyone else… Nick sighed. Honey would kill him for having the police call her, but the badger was one of the few he knew who was on the up and up. He’d end up owing her big time. 

He tapped the pen. There was Felicity, although the cops might find it odd that both Honey and the arctic fox lived together. Or that they were all but married, some mammals were weirdly touchy about same gender or cross-species relationships. 

Nick pulled out his phone and pulled up Felicity’s number to text her. She was the more cautious of the two, Honey would just tell him to go for it, and she’d rip anyone who dissented from her teeth. 

“Hey, where’s Hopps?” He looked up to find one of the tigers glancing around the cubical they’d been assigned. 

Nick pointed down, then blinked in confusion when they recoiled. 

“You _ate_ her?” The tiger hissed, glancing around as if to make sure they weren’t overheard.

“What? No!” Nick glanced down, belatedly realising it looked like he was pointing to his stomach. He rolled his eyes. Really, if this is what the level of observation skills here in the ZPD, it was a good thing he was joining them. 

He lifted his tail to show Judy curled out underneath it, drooling on his leg, her head resting on his knee. “The painkillers finally kicked in.” 

She was supposed to be only working half days, because healing was exhausting. Yet she’d tried to pull a full day, like he’d known she would. It’d taken a bit of coaxing to get her to take a pain pill around lunch, and she’d finally passed out for a nap about a half hour previous. 

He could feel the cast on her leg resting on the base of his tail. It was a bit uncomfortable, but nothing he wanted to move her for. 

“Oh, my gosh.” The next thing he knew, animals were being called over, and photos were being taken. His phone suddenly buzzed, an incoming text from Clawhauser about how cute they were, with an attached photo of him looking very protective over his bunny.

Nick grumbled to himself and pulled his tail over Judy, covering her back up. “Don’t you have some work to do?” He glared sourly at the crowd gathering around their cubicle, starting to feel a little trapped. 

“Yes.” Bogo’s rumbling voice echoed, making quite a few animals jump guiltily. “My question exactly.” 

The crowd suddenly dispersed, leaving just a scowling Bogo, who glanced around the cubical suspiciously. “Where’s Hopps?”

Nick pointed down at his tail. Bogo glanced down, then around. “You _ate_ her?”

“Oh, for goodness sake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When this fic was originally plotted out, it was with the assumption that Nick had no close living relatives. According to director Rich Moore, [Mrs. Wilde is alive](https://twitter.com/_rich_moore/status/715044439589273600). There's a couple of ways this could play out in the story, hence the 'complicated'.  
> Nick knowing Flash [from High School Track is also from Rich Moore's twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/_rich_moore/status/722628441946763264).  
> [Honey Badger](http://my-new-mistake.tumblr.com/post/148606680682/sketchfanda-dont-care-how-it-gets-donei-want) was Nick's friend from earlier drafts, and the mechanic arctic fox is from the artbooks (I can't find the link right now). And once again thanks to Liz, for the story about her brother failing the polygraph test three times before being admitted into the Academy.
> 
> Adam Ruins Everything: [How To Beat A Lie Detector Test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1-2K_pCWmI)


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

“Do we need to make a coffee run today?” Judy teased her partner as they walked into the Police Headquarters, Nick yawning wide enough she could probably fit her whole head in his jaws. 

“Meh.” He grumbled, slouching slightly. She didn’t know what time he went to sleep last night, only that it had been late enough that she’d fallen asleep watching him take one of his new polo shirts part and putting it back together again, using one of his normal shirts as a pattern. 

She hadn’t even known he could sew. Nick had slowly told her between measurements and pinning about growing up at his Father’s tailor shop, learning about patterning and sewing before he could walk. He altered all of his clothing to fit, sometimes Finnick’s too. Saved him a bunch of money, and was easier than making clothing from scratch. 

Although he did that too sometimes, as a hobby. That’s how Finnick’s ‘Toot Toot’ costume had been made. 

It made Judy stop and wonder. For years, her hobby had been studying to get into the ZPD. And now that she was here… Well, that left her with some free time that she wasn’t sure what to do with. 

Other than sleep to heal for the moment, but that was only going to last a couple more weeks. 

Nick abruptly straightened up, pulling her out of her musing. She glanced around, wondering if someone had brought in coffee. 

There were a lot of officers hanging around their cubicle as they approached, including a couple of the bomb squad in full hazmat gear. Judy glanced up at Nick, finding him looking at her with a similar look of confusion on his face that she felt. Nick shrugged one shoulder, and by silent mutual agreement, they slowed their approach. 

“Hey, guys.” Judy glanced around with a small worried smile on her face, as Nick silently stepped behind her, watching her back. “What’s up?” 

“You have a letter.” Explosivo, the head of the Bomb Squad, dressed up in his full kit, gestured to her desk. She didn’t think that was his real name, but she’d yet to hear anyone call him anything except that. 

“Okay?” Judy tilted her head to the side. 

“From a major crime boss.” Grizzoli, one of the giant bears rumbled. 

Judy glanced at Nick, who had a contemplative look on his face. Nick stepped around her, before approaching Judy’s desk and looking at the envelope. “Ah.” His expression cleared as he picked it up. “It’s for you, Hopps.” 

“For me?” She squeaked, tucking her crutches in under her armpits so she could take the envelope. Nick handed it to her and she found herself grinning. “Oh! It’s from Mister Big.” 

“You know him?” Rhinowitz straightened, looking large and menacing. 

“Well, yeah.” Judy said dismissively as she used a claw to undo the flap. It was really nice stationary too, good quality. “Nick and I interviewed him for the Otterton case. He was very nice.”

Well, once he had stopped trying to kill them, that was. 

A murmured rippled around them. She ignored it, pulling out the card inside, admiring the embossed ‘You’re Invited’ cover. Nick moved to stand behind her again, his tail brushing her legs as he looked over her shoulder. 

“Awwwww.” Judy cooed as she opened the card, with the cute pink and blue umbrellas decorating the borders inside. Judy angled the card so they could both read it easily. It was only addressed to Judy, but that didn’t really matter.

“Huh. How about that.” She didn’t need to look to hear the smile in Nick’s voice. 

“What should I bring?” Judy asked. Was there a sort of etiquette for visiting a crime boss versus a normal family gathering? 

“Oh, no.” Nick backed away, putting his paws up. “I’m not the one with a huge family, I wouldn’t have a clue.”

“Okay.” Judy nodded. She could see where that would be problematic. Fortunately, there had been lists of places Fru Fru was registered with inside. “If you put in for half, I’ll put both our names on it.”

“Deal.” Nick quickly agreed. They shook on it. 

“Although….” Nick said, giving her a speculative look, a finger tapping at his chin. “We’re going to have to go shopping for you too, what you’ve got in your suitcase won’t cut it.”

Judy made a face. It wasn’t that she minded shopping, it could be downright fun with the right people. But finding the time to do it, plus the crutches was going to make it trickier than usual. 

And it was going to be harder to find things in her size here than in Bunnyburrow, where almost everything was approximately rabbit-sized. She wasn’t sure even where to look, although Nick would probably know. 

Although, she had her dress uniform slacks…. 

“No, you cannot wear your uniform to this.” Nick deadpanned, cutting off that hope. “For one thing, it won’t fit over your cast.”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes and picked up her crutches again, swinging over to her desk and setting the letter down. Not that she’d really try it, showing up in officer clothing to a Mafia party did seem to be in poor taste.

She wondered if she could maybe get Nick to make her something. Although he did say it took a lot longer to make something from scratch.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Explosivo asked as Judy climbed into her chair. “What’s the letter?”

“Invitation to the baby shower.” Judy held up the card, showing off the cute decorations on the inside. Explosivo took it, passing the letter around, various officers peering and sniffing it for trickery. 

Judy paused, then turned to Nick. “Hey, do you think Fru would be willing to go dress shopping?”

“Well, you both have similar taste in dresses.” Nick said in a bored tone, giving himself a stretch, before sitting down at his desk. “Although considering she’s this close to her due date, it may not be a good idea.”

“Good point. Maybe she knows some good stores. I’ll ask her later.” Judy decided. “Although she’s reaching full term pretty fast-? It’d be a least another week if she was a bunny.”

Nick shrugged. “Shrews tend to age a bit faster. And the groom looked a little too happy for it to be a shotgun wedding.”

Judy smiled. Fru Fru and her husband adored each other, they were totally cute together. 

“You were at the _wedding_?!” Explosivo demanded.

“Yeah?” Judy blinked innocently, jolted out of the warm fuzzies.

“Do you know what Big Family usually _does to cops_?!” Explosivo waved his hands in the air. 

“Ice them-?” Judy offered. “As in, you know, actual ice, and frozen, and death-?” 

Hence Nick’s insistence that she was a Mime who could not talk. Which would have been useful to know going into the Big Manor, but everything had worked out in the end. 

Someone spoke up from the back of the crowd, cutting off any response Explosivo might have had. “Mister Big is hosting a _Baby Shower_?” 

“Actually, his sister is.” Judy explained. At least, she thought it was Mister Big’s sister. Some sort of relation. “I don’t think Mister Big will be there, since baby showers are usually girls only.” She paused and glanced Nick. “...Unless they do it differently in Zootopia?”

Several heads turned to Trunkaby, the elephant having just joined the crowd. Francine shook her head. 

“Not as far as I know.” Nick drawled, picking up some of the files they were working on and sorting through them. “Don’t forget, you’ll need a nice dress for the Baptism too.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Judy beamed. A goddaughter. She still couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t even a godmother to any of her nieces or nephews, everyone expected her to get killed messily in Zootopia. 

“Wait, go back.” Grizzoli shook his massive head. “You’re friends with a Mob Boss’ _daughter_? To the point that you’re invited to _close family_ events?!” 

“Well, I _am_ the Godmother.” Judy smiled. “And I have both Fru Fru and her father listed personal informants too, in case I _happen_ to overhear something while I’m there. You never know.” 

Not that Fru Fru ever talked about the family business, but it was one way to avoid any potential legal conflicts of interest. 

“Sly bunny.” Nick murmured with a pleased twist of his mouth. He held up a fist and Judy bumped it with her own. 

“Unbelievable.” Grizzoli threw his paws in the air, turned and wandered off. This seemed to be the cue for the crowd to break up and wander off. Judy shrugged to herself, taking the baby shower invitation back when it was handed to her, then grabbing a file from the pile in front of Nick. 

Her phone chirped before she could open it, a text from Fru Fru. Curious, Judy opened it, finding a message from her friend, apologising for causing a ruckus at her work, but Fru hadn’t had any other addresses for Judy to send it to at the time the invitations went out. 

Judy glanced around the cubicle, wondering who in the ZPD was the Big family’s informant, then smiled and texted back that it was okay. 

If nothing else, it’d shaken up their reputation at the ZPD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nick making clothing was going to be a chapter on it's own, but that would have meant needing another chapter before this one, and we decided against it to get the plot moving faster. 
> 
> From here on out, the time skips are gonna be getting bigger. 
> 
> Nick's Father being a tailor comes from [the Art Book, Nick in front of a building labelled 'John Wilde: Formal Wear'](http://my-new-mistake.tumblr.com/post/140888829817/iisscooby-bonus-pic-is-bonus-the-art-of). Points whoever recognised the name 'Explosivo' from my favourite character in '[Total Drama Action](http://totaldrama.wikia.com/wiki/Izzy)', I laughed too hard at the idea not to use it.  
> Thanks to Arin and Liz for discussing what mammals would put on their baby shower cards instead of storks and duckies.

**Author's Note:**

> Since people keep asking, yes, [On Hiatus, not abandoned.](https://ickaimp.tumblr.com/post/163157573715/hi-icka-not-to-nag-or-anything-but-i-was-looking)


End file.
